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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · kick · drill · wave · stick · row · pop · suit

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. suit — clothes
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. kick — in football
  9. pop — to visit
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. drill — army training
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pop — soda
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pop — music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com